By: Dr Ade Dosunmu
Lagos, May 30, 2024 – The proposal by the Federal Government to grant full Autonomy to the local governments in Nigeria is a welcome development and long overdue.
I commend the Federal government whose Attorney General Of The Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has approached the Supreme Court to pursue this landmark initiative.
There is no doubt that our democratic journey has been very slow due to lack of autonomy for the third tier of government as practised in other Democratic climes.
The office of the Attorney General of The Federation should, however, bear in mind the ambiguity in the 4th Schedule and Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which recognised local governments as the third tier of government, but also in a contradictory manner gives some functions to state government and Houses of Assembly with regards to Local Government Administration.
This and other contradictory clauses need to be amended to reflect the complete financial and administrative autonomy as it’s been operated in other federal system.
I commend the leadership of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for this bold step and urge him to go all out to break this jinx by removing the clog in the wheel of our development and progress.
You can imagine the impact that will be created if 774 local governments are independent and free from the apron spring of the state governments.
Nigerians will immediately start enjoying the dividends of democracy directly across the country in all the 774 Local Governments and also have a say in determining the Political leadership at their Local Governments.
The fact that every Nigerian lives in a local government underscores the strategic importance of granting full autonomy to the local governments.
